Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk

THE CURSE OF THE OBELISK 83
"The Daily Inquirer owes me a week of vacation," she said. "At least."
"Okay, then we'll spend a week in Paris. But without giant bats or—"
"Walking mummies or—"
"Aggressive Zouaves." Harry put his good arm around her waist, leaned and kissed her.
"Ahem," came the voice of Inspector Swann from an open French door. "They are ready to
open it." He went away.
"And no obelisks," said Jennie.
● ● ●
The stonemason was a small, dark man in smock and work trousers. Covered with granite dust,
he was crouched at the tip of the lying-down obelisk. A makeshift scaffolding was supporting the
apex.
"Easy now, chum," advised the dapper safecracker. A tall, lean man, he was standing close by
with a stethoscope dangling from his left hand.
"We are ready," said the mason.
The safecracker dropped the stethoscope into his coat pocket, took hold of the tip of the obelisk.
The mason did likewise.
Baron Groll was pacing along the canvas that had been spread out on the floor of his
conservatory. "Get on with it," he urged.
"Lend a hand," Inspector Swann told the two uniformed Kaltzonburg policemen who'd been
standing watch.
Grunting and puffing, the four men lifted the apex free of the obelisk and let it rest on the
scaffolding.
"The mason mentioned earlier," said Swann to Harry, "there is evidence that's been taken off
before and very artfully replaced."
"Sure, they did that back in ancient Egypt when the—"
"More recently than that, monsieur."
Jennie tapped Harry's arm. "Lorenzo's hunch," she said quietly.
The safecracker was on his knees, shining a bull's-eye lantern into the opening that was now
visible. There was a hollowed out cube about the size of a shoebox. "Got to be mighty careful," he
said. "On the lookout for poisoned needles and other such engines of destruction."
"There's a small ivory casket in there," said the baron. "Get it out, will you?"
"All in good time." The safecracker rubbed his fingertips on his palms.
"Ah, I have no more patience." Barol Groll pushed him aside and thrust in his hand. He pulled
out a casket of gold-trimmed ivory. "Is this it, Herr Challenge?"